Talc

What is it?Talc is an ingredient used in some cosmetic and personal care products.

Talc is used in body powders such as talcum powder. It consists of very fine particles, making it good at absorbing moisture, and its slippery feel reduces skin irritation e.g. from a baby’s nappy. It is also used in face and body powders to create a soft, even feel, and as a base material in some colour cosmetics such as eye shadows and powder blushers.

The talc used in these products is a highly purified and processed form of the naturally occurring mineral.

Talc is also used in a range of other products, including medicines and food additives.

What’s the myth?It has been suggested that talc, especially in body powders, can cause cancer. This may be because talc and asbestos are different forms of the same chemical substance - magnesium silicate - and asbestos fibres are a known carcinogen. However, all talc used in cosmetics and personal care products is required by law to be free from asbestos.The primary myth regarding talcum powder is that perineal use by women is linked to ovarian cancer.

FACT: Evidence does not show that use of cosmetic talc increases ovarian cancer risk.There have been many studies into the possible health impacts of talc, including the possible link to ovarian cancer.

In 2015, the article “Safety assessment of talc as used in cosmetics” was published in the International Journal of Toxicology.[1] This article detailed the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Panel's thorough examination of the evidence available on talc, with particular focus on ovarian cancer. The CIR concluded that talc is safe as presently used in cosmetics – including for cosmetic products entirely composed of talc – but that talc should not be applied to damaged skin.

And previously in 2003[2] and 2007[3], meta-analyses of the available data were conducted to determine if there is an association between talc use and ovarian cancer. Both of these meta-analyses concluded that the available data does not support that talc exposure causes an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Additionally, authors of the 2003 meta-analysis identified flaws in some of the previous studies that could account for the positive associations reported.

​The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) completed a six-month assessment of talc in 2006. Due to limited data and inadequate evidence, perineal use of talc was classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. It should be noted that drinking coffee and eating pickled vegetables are also classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.[4]​The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) reviewed the human epidemiology studies investigating both the personal use of talc and exposure to talc in the workplace in 2004. The NTP concluded that existing scientific data were insufficient to identify talc as a cancer causing agent.[5]

The bottom line? Talc-containing cosmetic and personal care products are safe to use – no increased risk of ovarian cancer has been shown.